Book cover



J. A. RENNIE Aug. 2s, 1934.

BOOK COVER Filed 0G13. 20, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l mvENToR JOHN A. RENNIE BY H15 AITORNEYS eauauaaaccoee ...unan-:E m

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Allg- 28, 1934- J. A. RENNIE 1,972,048

BOOK COVER Filed Oct. 20, 1935 3 Shee'cs-Sheeil 2 H l L.

YUUVUUUVUUUUV IIDIIRUIII) UUVIU'UUUUUUUUUUUUUU mll lNvENToR JOHN A. RENNIE BY HIS ATTORNEYS Aug- 28, 1934- J. A, RENNIE K 1,972,048

1360K COVER l Filed 001'.. 20. 1933 3 sheets-Sheet 3 :M l

I lO l0 c L@ if Fmi n n n n n n a M LJ IIIDIIIIII INVENToR r.5- I JOHN A. RENNIE BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 28, k1934 uti-iran STATES 'PATENT OFFICE Application vOctober! 1933, Serial Non lrflalA` This invention relates to bookA covers and' more particularly to iiexibl'e'covers for loose leaf books and it is. an object of this invention to provide' a cover of the type described in which the side por- 5 tions thereof assume a more nearly nat position when opened. It is also an object of this invention to provide a cover of the type described in which adjacent, edges of the back and side portions are spaced apart for a portion of their length l0 and in which the connecting means, lwhen the spaced apart edges are connected, provides greater flexibility than is provided by the material of which the cover is formed. f

In the drawings:

1'5 Figure 1 is a partial View of the inside cover constructed. in accordance with this invention, the cover being shown in open position and stitching which joins the back and side portions being omitted in part in order to more clearly show the 2G' separation of the back and side portions and the iler for the stitching;

Figure 2 is a broken view of a cover such as is shown in Figure 1 when closed;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View of the cover as shovm in Figure 2 drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a partial section across the cover shown in Figure 1, the metal parts being shown in plan view;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a modiflcation;

Figure 6 is a partial section across the cover shown in Figure 5;

Figures 7 and 8 are partial plan views, similar to Figure 1 of further modications;

Fig. 9 is a partial View of the outside of a further modification, the cover being shown in open position; and

Fig. l0 is a partial section across the modification shown in Figure 9.

"0 As shown in the drawings, a book cover constructed in accordance With this invention comprises the usual side portions 1--1 and back 2 which may be formed from a single piece of suitable flexible material such as leather, as shown in Figure l, or of a plurality of pieces of such suitable material as shown in Figure 5. VAssociated with the cover can be a ring metal of usual construction for supporting the usual separable rings 6--5 and which will be covered by the usual cover plate 4.. The particular construction of the means for holding the rings and securing them to the cover, however, forms no part of this invention. Secured to the back 2, and of substantially the same dimensions as the back, is the backV piece 5' which can be of the same material as the cover.

In the usual construction inwhich the Ymaterial of the side portions is continuous with the Y material of the back, the cover, when opened, G@ tends to form a curve of considerable radius and prevents the cover from lying flat upon a supporting surface. In order to permit of the cover assuming a substantially at condition when, open, slots 8 are cut in the material of the cover along the lines of junction of the sides and back.

The slots 8 extend for the major portion of the distance between the top and bottom edges of the cover and these slots may be continuous as in Figures 1, 2 and 7 wherein they extend to within a short distance of both the top and bottom edges of the cover and the side portions and back are joined by continuous portions 10 of the material of the cover beyond the slots, or the slots may be interrupted by continuous portions 12 of the material which cooperate with the continuous portions 10 in joining the side portions and back as in Fig. 8. With the cover slotted as described along the line of junction of the side portions and back the cover is found to bend more readily along such junction line and to permit the side portions to assume a substantially flat position, the continuous portions 10 of the material of the cover at the ends of the slot serving as hinges.

In order to avoid any tendency for the side portions and back to gap open at the slots, the separated or spaced edges of the side portions and back at the slot may be connected by fagotting or zig-zag stitching 14` or other suitable means Which serves to hold the edges of the slot substantially alined but does not draw the edges together. Where the spaced edges of the side portions and back are joined, as by the stitching 14, the slots 8 can be extended to the edges of the cover, as in Figure 5 if desired. In this arrangement the cover would generally be formed of separate pieces constituting the side portions and back vand the desiredseparation maintained between the Vpieces as they are joined by the stitching 14 or other suitable connecting means.

As the stitching 14 must be done with a fairly coarse thread in order to give a proper finish or appearance kto a cover,V the stitching projects slightly beyond both `the inner and outer faces of the cover. As the thread used must be hard in order to withstand Wear, the projection of the thread beyond the cover is, at times, objectionable because of the danger of the scratching by the thread of many of the polished surfaces upon which abook may be laid. To overcome this objection, the outer faces of the side portions and back may be cut away or skived'out adjacent the slots 8, as at 16 in Figs. 9 and 10, providing a recess for the stitching in the outer faces of the side portions and back so that the stitching 14 comes substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the side portions and back.. In the usual stitching, the stitches are of much less thickness between the sides of the 'slot than Where engaged with the sides of the slot, and if greater-uniformity is desired, a filler 18 can be threaded through the stitches, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, so as to make the stitching of substantially uniform thickness throughout and thus addingto the appearance of the cover. While not shown, ller's can be used in connection with the' modifications shown in Figures 5, 6, 9 and 10 In all cases the thickness of the filler will bedetermined by the' effect desired. .v

I claim: l. A book cover having adjacentv edges of the back and side portions spaced apart for a portion of their length and stitching connecting said separated edge portions. f u

2. A book cover having adjacent edges of the back and side portions spaced apart for a portion of their length, stitching connecting said separated edge portions and a filler extending through said stitching.

3. A book cover having adjacent edges of the back and side portions of reduced thickness and spaced apart for a portion of their lengthl and stitching connecting said separated edge por- 4. A book cover having back and side portions spaced apart for a portion of their length, said separated portions having the separated edges of reduced thickness, and stitching connecting said edges, said stitching being inset from a face of said hack and side portions.

5. A book cover having back and side portions spaced apartV for a portion of their length, said separated portions having the separated edges of reduced thickness, stitching connecting said edges, said stitching being inset from a face of said portions, and a i'lller extending through said stitch 111g- JOHN A. RENNIE. 

